COMMISSIONS

The Phoenix Archive Project offered two creative commissions to enable filmmakers and artists from the South West to work with the archive footage to develop an exciting and creative response to the material.

Alongside the creative output, the commissioned artists ran a series of public workshops in collaboration with our project partners, facilitating creative responses and interaction with the archive in communities across Devon. The commissions were premiered in a showcase at Exeter Phoenix in July 2024.

The Memory Boom

Xenia Glen and Antosh Wojcik

'The Memory Boom' is an archive-based exploration of preserving memories in the modern era.

Antosh and Xenia are filmmakers, writers, and co-founders of Sleepwalker, a Dorset-based production company that was founded as a filmmaker collective in 2017. Antosh and Xenia's films have premiered at the London Film Festival, the London Short Film Festival, and on BBC3.

SONG CYCLE

Holly ebony

Performed by Holly Ebony, Clarrisa Carlyon and Oli Haynes, Devon folk artist Holly Ebony has created a new song cycle reflecting on themes around family, social change, travel, colonialism and relationship to place arising from the footage.

Cascading vocals heady & peaty raw as the Dartmoor landscape she hails from, her 'intoxicating' (Fatea) 2023 debut album Born For These Times is 'surprisingly potent' (RNR) Female led folk of 'Easy Excellence' (ArtsCulture), serene harmony & elemental ferocity and led to Holly supporting both Jesca Hoop and Lady Nade.